Georgia Magic
by Christy3k
Summary: Harry Potter has sent out Ron and Hermione to find the one item that can reverse the Iuxta Mortuus curse that was released world wide. The problem it that no one knows exactly what the items is and Ron and Hermione have been seperated. Georiga is still a frendly place so I'm sure they will find what they are looking for with some help a redneck and two farm girls that is.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Sorry for staying away for so long dear readers. If you will recall, in my last fic I refrenced that my friend suggested that I do a Harry Potter/Walking Dead crossover. To which I said "You are crazy!" Apparently my muse and my bff have the same sense of humor. Rated T for now but I might have to change it to M if it gets too dark or messy. So here we go...as always reviews are appreciated.

Georgia Magic

Heat radiated from the road like ripples breaking the surface of a still pond. Vegetation oozed through the cracks of the asphalt as nature reclaimed the abandoned highway for its own. She leaned/sat on the bumper of a minivan and stared intently at the back of her hand. Her sweat soaked clothing clung to her small frame as she contemplated if she had ever in her life sweated on the back of her hands. The weather in England almost never reached the triple digit sauna that is Georgia in the summer. After resting for a moment, she push herself away from the bumper and started walking again. Maybe it was the heat, or how long she had been walking down this never ending road, but she didn't hear the walker as it pulled itself from the car behind her. It was like some unholy fairy tale where the princess had unintentionally woken the creature from its undead slumber. The walker shuffled behind her, and as it approached it rattled a sound somewhere between a moan and a hiss. She turned around and reached for her boot knife. The walker was closing in on her as she stood to face the creature. She squared herself and plunged the knife into its dead white eye. She removed her knife from the now hollow eye socket and watched as it fell lifeless to the ground. It was then that she felt the clammy hand wrap around her arm from behind. Eyes wide, she turned to face her attacker. Gray skin and milky, soulless eyes meet her hazel ones. She lifted her arm to strike, but her body was weaker then she realized, and the boot knife slid out of her fingers and bounced under the car next to her. She took a deep breath and shoved the walker with all her remaining strength. It fell to the ground, but that would not dissuade the creature for long. She dropped to her stomach and frantically crawled under the car to retrieve the knife. She stretched her arm out and felt her fingers lightly brushing the metal hilt. The tugging on her ankle told her that it was back. She kicked at the creature and dragged her knife out with her. Rolling over, she found herself pinned to the road under the weight of the walker. Its clammy hands holding down her shoulders, the remnants of what was once a three piece suit hanging in shards around his rotting arms. She tried to overpower it, but found that she had no strength left. There were many times in her young life when she had faced death; but she would never have predicted that it would all end with her being eaten alive. The scent of rotten meat and sulfur filled her nostrils as she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. That was when she heard the soft thunk and felt wetness on her face. She opened her eyes to find the walker slumped over her shoulder with something protruding from its skull.

"You just gonna lay there?"

She tilted her head back to locate the owner of the voice that she was hearing. Also to confirm that there was someone actually behind her and she was not having some elaborate hallucination. His body was blocking out the sun, but she could make out that it was a man.

"Could I get some help? I'm a bit stuck at the moment."

He reached down and tossed the body off of hers and reached out his hand to help her up. She placed her hand in his and was struck by how ruff and weathered his skin is. Once she is upright, she gets a better look at her rescuer. Right around 6 foot tall and 13 to 15 stones, his muscular arms are exposed in his button up flannel shirt that had the sleeves forcibly removed. Gray work pants with one knee exposed and a rip in the other knee that extends to mid-calf with black military style boots finishing off the ensemble. Sandy blond hair hangs over his dark blue eyes and she draws in a slow breath and wonders briefly if she really is hallucinating.

"Daryl"

Her head tilts. "I'm sorry?"

He points to his chest "Daryl; you got a name?"

She shakes her head and extends her hand. "Of course, I'm so sorry. I'm Hermione; Hermione Granger."

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Beth climbed out of the water and began to dry off. She was almost dressed when she heard a whistle. She looked up to see her sister grinning at her from the top of the slope that leads to the water's edge. She rolled her eyes.

"Perve"

"Come on girl, we don't have time for beauty...we gotta keep moving."

"Yea well this isn't beauty, it's about ensuring that we don't smell worse than the walkers. You should get down here too, unless you're trying to trick the walkers so you can walk around them."

The two woman walked side by side toward there campsite.

"Very funny, that earns you babysitting duty. Go fetch the ginger."

"Oh come on, it can't be my turn yet. I just watched him last night."

Maggie gave her a pirate smile. "That's what happens when you get mouthy. Now go."

Beth sighed, there was no point in arguing. Maggie was doing it just to annoy her. Beth was pretty immune to loss and she had a few boyfriends die; but after losing her father she was determined not to form attachments to anyone. She was for her sister and anyone from the original group that they might encounter...but no outsiders were allowed in. They had found him a few weeks ago and he was in pretty bad shape, but they were able to nurse him back to health and he had proven to be useful. However, there was something off about him. It was like he was the only one in a photo that was out of focus. She could never put her finger on it, but it made her fidgety around him. His British accent and good looks really didn't help matters either.

She walked to the log pile and found him adding to the pile. She chuckled to herself as she watched him. His bare arms were so pale, she would swear that he glowed in the dark. The Georgia sun had only managed to reveal more freckles, but Beth was pretty sure that if his freckles held hands he would have a killer tan. He pulled off his baseball cap and wiped his brow, revealing his copper red hair. He looked her way and she waved to him as she walked over. Beth stared at her feet as she walked over; his blue eyes were intense and she found it hard to hold his gaze.

"Hey, Maggie is rounding us up, she is ready to pull up camp at first light so make sure your stuff is pack and ready to go."

He nodded and headed back towards the camp with a few logs for the fire tonight. Maggie was already loading up the SUV when they arrived.

"Hey ginger; get on that fire please. I'd like to eat this year."

His eyes narrowed. "Ron. For the one hundredth time my name is Ron."

"Less yapping, more fire."

Ron turned to the fire pit and muttered under his breath; "Whatever you say Ellie May."

Beth snorted and Ron turned to her and smiled. She hated it when he smiled.

"You heard my sister, get to it." With that Beth walked to her tent and made sure that everything was packed. Unable to help herself, she unzipped on bag and pulled out a bible. It was the bible that her father found in the prison. She had thrown it into her bag the day they ran. He gave it to her before he left that morning. She held the book to her face and inhaled the scent. It had been several months, but her father's murder was a wound that refused to heal. She gently placed it back into her bag and wiped the tears from her cheek.

Ron stood over the fire pit and waited until he was sure that the girls were not paying attention. He leaned closed to the fire pit and took his wand out of his boot.

"Incendio" He whispered and pointed the wand at the logs. They immediately began to burn and he tucked his wand back into his boot before standing up.

"Are you some kind of magician?"

Ron jumped slightly as he turned to Maggie.

"You make a fire licitly split; but I never see you use matches or a lighter. You must have some kind of magical fire voodoo."

"Didn't I tell you? I'm a warlock. I just pointed my wand at the logs and..poof...fire."

Maggie shook her head. "Smart ass."

Ron gave her a weak smile. He liked the girls a lot; they had saved his life the day they found him. However he couldn't risk telling them the truth. It was just too dangerous. She walked back to the SUV and got the large pot ready to warm there meal. They found an abandoned delivery truck with several cans of Spaghetti-O's in the back. They weren't the most awesome meal, but it was better than going hungry. Once there meal was heating went to double check his bag. Why the hell Harry had sent him here was still a mystery. He was searching for something, but he was not sure what. I could be an object or a person, the only thing that Ron knew for certain was that if he was successful; they could reverse the cures and the dead would stay dead. Harry assured him that "he would know it once he found it" but Ron was having no such luck and he was starting to get frustrated. The fact that he was separated from Hermione did nothing to improve his mood. He would have to keep looking for her and hope for the best.


	2. Harry's Delima

AN: Oh my heavens; I never expected to get such a positive response so early on. I really hope you stick with me and I promise that come hell or high water I will finish this fic! I'm not certain which other HP or WD charters will be making an appearance, so if you have a suggestion…please chime in. Remember…Reviews are always appreciated even if it's just "good job". BTW…this will be a bit slow at first as I'm revealing how Ron and Heromine ended up in Georgia and what caused the outbreak but it will get more exciting as we go along.

Harry paced in the large room. At this point, there was certainly a path worn into the wood floors beneath his feet. The door opened and Ginny walked in.

"Any word?"

Harry shook his head.

"Well you know what they say; no news is good news."

He gave her a grimace. It had been almost a month since they had word from his friends. He should have known that Voldemort would never go down without a fight. Harry had expected some resistance from the Death Eaters; but the evil that had gone down was beyond his comprehension. There were little biological bombs placed all over the globe. The curse was not fully understood, but what they did know is that it was designed to be ineffective on all magic users. All muggles were infected. Once they died, they would rise from the dead with the desire to consume the living. It was truly horrific, and none of their efforts to counter the potion were successful. Never in his life had Harry felt more incompetent. Dumbledore would have the wisdom to see the answer that he was missing; Snape was the most brilliant potions master of his generation and he would have been able to come up with an antiserum. Instead; the world was stuck relying on the boy who lived…twice.

"Hey"

He looked over and saw the concern in Ginny's eyes. "What did I tell you about staying in your head?"

He smiled weakly at his lovely wife. "That I should never be up there unsupervised; because it dangerous."

"That's right. So stop beating yourself up. While you're at it; please remove the weight of the world from your shoulders. I don't want to be married to some hunched back freak after all."

He wrapped her up in his arms and held her close, breathing in her scent. Ginny was the only thing keeping him sane these days. He released her and decided to review Trelawney's prediction again to see if there was anything he had missed. He picked up the vial from his desk and walked over to the pensieve. As he was about to pour, he felt a hand on his wrist. He turned to see Ginny shaking her head.

"Please Harry, you've see it a hundred times. It hasn't changed. Just leave it for now and trust that with Heromine's brilliant mind and my brother's dumb luck they will find the item and save us all."

He nodded and placed the vial back on his desk. She was right; he had watched the memory so often he could quote it verbatim. What the prophecy meant was still a mystery to him.

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Hermione sat in her tent mindlessly turning the ring that was hanging from a chain around her neck. Anytime she was anxious, she would fidget with the ring. It helped calm her and made her feel close to Ron.

"You playing with that ring again? What's the deal with that thing anyway…looks like it came out of a candy machine."

She smiled at Daryl. He was abrasive and lacked social graces; but he was an excellent survivalist and his skill at killing the walkers and finding food with that crossbow of his was impressive. She had grown quite found of the man and decided to confide in him. At first he thought she was crazy, but once she had demonstrated her powers and introduced him to her portable cabin he came around. There were certainly reasons not to tell a muggle that she was a witch with magical powers via her wand, but it seemed silly to be out in the open exposed to walker and human threats when she could be using magic. Also, he could not have been more different from her. Based on her conversations with him; his schooling had been very limited. However; he was a plethora of knowledge when it came to tracking, hunting, what foods in the woods are edible and what ones are poisonous. Hermoine began to wonder if he was exactly the kind of person to assist her in her search. So she told him about the prophecy as well. He didn't have any better answers then she did but he was willing to help her look. They didn't talk a lot at first, but after a week or so she began to talk about Ron and her friends and he told her about Rick and his friends from the prison. Now it was common for them to share stories about the ones they care about.

"Funny you should say that because that is exactly where it came from."

Daryl shook his head. "Sounds like a cheap bastard to me."

"No" she shook her head. "He was saving money for a ring. He picked out this ring from an antique shop. When we received word that we would be sent here, he still had a few payments." As she spoke her mind wandered back to that day. She walked to the local pharmacy to get an extra toothbrush and toothpaste.

"What are you doing here?"

She smiled at Ron. I came to get an extra toothbrush and toothpaste because you…"

They spoke in unison… "always forget to pack it."

Hermione laughed nervously. "I'm glad that we are going together. I'm not certain that we will have any luck as we still don't know what it is we are searching for, but I'm pleased that I'll be with you."

"Yea, me too." Ron began to fidget. "Listen Heromine; I know that we've been in some sticky spots before; but this is really dangerous. "

Her brow creased. "Ronald Weasley; I certainly hope you are not suggesting that I stay here. I am more than capable of handling myself.

Ron shook his head vigorously. "No, of course not. I wouldn't think of going with anyone else. It's just well…I know we've been seeing each other for awhile now, and well I love you Heromine.

"I know that; and I love you too Ron."

"Yea, but its just you said that you don't want to move in with me cuz we aren't married and that your folks wouldn't like it. Well, we've been together for a while now and like most of my closet is your stuff, and all of the counter in the loo is all your things, so…"

"Ron; we do have to get ready. Is this going somewhere?"

Ron took a deep breath. "I have a ring that I'm paying out. I was going to wait until then but with us going on this mission and all I just don't want to waste any time." He dropped to one knee and took her hand into his. "Heromine Granger; will you marry me?"

She remembered her fingers flying up to her lips, feeling the tears beginning to fall down her face. Unable to force her mouth to form words she just nodded her head. He had wrapped his arms around her and spun around while shouting. They shared the most passionate kiss she had ever known. As they left the store, he stopped out front where there were machines that dispensed candy and toys. He put in two quarters and out popped the plastic bubble. Inside was a cheap silver metal ring with a heart cut out of the center. He handed it to her.

"Until I can get the real thing."

She put it on her ring finger and it was a perfect fit. She smiled up at him.

"You shouldn't really wear it; it'll likely turn your finger green."

"I'll put it on a chain and wear it. Every time I touch it; I'll think of you."

He returned her smile and they had spent the rest of that day and night in each other's arms. His proposal was sweet and clumsy and quintessentially Ron. She looked up and smiled at Daryl as she fingered the ring again.

"Sounds like he might be ok; best hold him to getting a real rock on that finger."

"Oh, don't worry. I will." She truly hoped that she would find him again so he could have the chance to make good on that promise.


	3. Bloodshead

Maggie and Beth were setting up the campsite and Ron was pitching the tents. He was kicking himself for the hundredth time that he did not think to grab his bag with his magical cabin inside. Now he was exposed at night and trying to pitch a tent is frustrating for people that are used to it. Ron has never pitched a tent in his life; but spending so much time around Hermione had its benefits.

"infigo"

The poles flew to their positions and weaved through the proper sleeves in the vinyl material. Soon enough the first tent was up and ready. The girls were still busy unloading the SUV and getting the supplies prepped for tonight; so he moved on to the next tent and had the last one set before the girls even noticed. He made a point to walk around and check each tent, even though he was certain they were put up correctly. It burned up some time so the girls were not suspicious of how fast he was able to get the camp set. He meandered over to the girls to see if he could help.

"Need an extra set of hands?"

Maggie looked up confused. She looked over his shoulder and noticed the fully assembled tents. She looked back to Ron and glared with her usual distrust. Maggie was in favor of leaving Ron after he was healed enough to make it on his own. It was Beth that had made the argument that having a man around would be helpful. Maggie decided that if he could set up their tents properly; he could stay. He could hardly manage unpacking the tent; and both girls were pretty sure he would fail. However, they left to get some water and when they returned the tents were up. It was Beth's kind nature and Maggie's distain for putting up tents that saved Ron that day.

"You got some kind-o super power or something?"

"Well I do have x-ray vision; but I promise not to tell about your Hello Kitty knickers."

Maggie stood in front of him and smacked him in the back of the head. "Don't push your luck ginger."

Beth giggled. "Come on you too, play nice. Ron, why don't you gather some extra scrap wood for the fire?" Ron walked into the woods and once he was out of ear shot, Maggie turned to Beth.

"Don't you think it's weird?"

"What, that you wear Hello Kitty panties? I try not to judge."

"Ha ha; very funny. You know what I mean. We ain't been her but five minutes or so and he's got all three tents pitched? How is that even possible?"

"Maggie I think your being overly paranoid. He is the only one that pitches the tents. We've been traveling together for a month or so. At this point he could probably pitch the tents blindfolded."

"Yea well; I still think something is off about him."

Beth just rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag. "Hey I'm gonna go wash up by the lake." Maggie gave her a courtesy wave and Beth headed toward the stream they found earlier. She approached the water slowly, checking for any signs of danger. Once she was satisfied that she was really alone, she began to strip down. Once she was down to her underwear she walked to the water's edge and began to rinse herself off. She filled a small bottle with water to rinse her feet off once she was done.

Ron was wandering aimlessly. He had gathered enough wood, but he didn't want to return to camp yet. He wanted some time to be alone with his thoughts. He sat down under a large oak tree and reached into his pocket. Opening his hand he began to stroke the plastic knight. He closed his eyes and relived that day in his mind. Hermione had finished packing for the both of them and she was wearing the toy ring around her neck. They decided to tell their friends and family once they returned. She was smiling and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. He knew from experience that this meant she was up to something. "I got you something." She produced a small box from behind her back. He returned her smile and began to open it. "It's nothing much really, I just thought you could keep it to remind you that I love you." Ron laughed. "I could never forget that you love me, I practically pinch myself every time you say it." He looked into the box and got quite. It was the small plastic knight. A reminder of their first adventure together, and the first time he got to be the hero. He picked up the figure and held it in his palm as he fought back the tears that were welling in the corner of his eyes. "It's brilliant." She smiled and bear hugged him. "Oh I'm so glad you like it."

He opened his eyes and slipped the figure back into his pocket. "I love it Hermione." His head snapped up as he heard rustling in the distance. He took his wand out of his boot and slowly moved in the direction of the noise. As he went deeper into the woods he heard splashing. He approached the edge of the stream slowly, one silent footstep at a time. Then he heard singing. His body immediately relaxed and he put the wand back in his boot. It was Beth, he recognized her voice. She would sing ever now and again, and he always enjoyed it. He started to stand up just to let her know he was there when he realized that she was nearly naked. He ducked back down, watching her from a safe distance. She really was a beautiful girl, and seeing her dripping wet with her underwear clinging to her lean frame he was very aware of how lovely she was. He wanted to walk away, he was engaged and really what kind of creep peeps on a girl while she is bathing? He wanted to leave, but he was entranced. It was like his feet were made of cement.

Beth was nearly done with her bath when she thought she heard a noise. She scanned the area, but didn't see anything. That was enough to convince her it was time to get back to camp.

"Don't go getting dressed now. I was enjoying the show."

Beth looked to her right on the embankment. There was a man leering at her. He was wielding a knife and sneering as he walked from behind the tree he had been hiding behind. His hair was dark and overgrown. His dark eyes were burning holes into her exposed flesh. She crossed her arms in a vain attempt to cover herself.

"Don't worry your pretty little head sweetheart. I aint gonna hurt ya. You just come over here so we can be friends."

Beth was petrified. "I just...I want my clothes...I...I'm gonna..." She started to walk over to her clothes, hoping against hope that she could get to her knife.

"Oh no...I don't think so honey. You just walk over to me; nice and slow. If your thinking of running, I wouldn't. See you can be nice and we can keep this friendly, or it can get unfriendly. No one wants that right sweetheart?"

She nodded duly and started slowly walking towards time. All the while she was racking her brain for some way out of this mess. It was at that moment that she noticed movement coming from the left. It happened so fast she was barely aware of what was going on. The leering man was knocked to the ground and began struggling with someone. He finally managed to throw the attacker off of his body and both of them stood up. It was Ron, looking particularly angry. He had managed to knock the knife out of the man's hand. They stared each other down, then the leering man charged. Ron took the body blow and put the man into a head lock. They traded blows until the leering man managed to knock Ron off of his feet. They both stood and Ron took a shot, landing an impressive punch on the jaw. The leering man is stunned and Ron tries to capitalize on his disorientation by pinning him against a large tree and holding him at bay with his arm across the man's throat. The man slumps to the ground and Ron watches him for a moment before heading down to Beth. The man leaps to his feet and runs at Ron. Ron notices Beth's knife among her clothes. He reaches for the blade and turns to face the man who runs onto the knife. He looks confused and starts to continue his attack on Ron. Ron plunges the knife into the man's chest up to the hilt. The man falls to the ground and Ron follows him down, his fingers locked onto the handle of the knife. The man rattles his last breath, and Ron removes the knife from his chest and jam's it into the base of the man's skull. He is shaken, his hands and arms are covered in blood. This is the first time that Ron has killed a human with his hands. More than a few wizards had fallen to his wand and killing walkers was old hat to him now. This was different, he was certain what would have happened to Beth if he had not acted, but the man was dead because of him. It was visceral, and Ron felt very ill. He was aware that Beth had wrapped her arms around him in a grateful hug; but it was like he was outside of his body watching. He could feel the pressure of her arms around him, but his skin still felt clammy and cold. They finally began walking back to camp. Beth was shaking and even though he knew it wasn't from cold; Ron gave her his long sleeved shirt to wear.

Maggie looked up at their approach. She rushed to her sisters side.

"Oh my God; what happened? Beth sweetie, are you ok?"

Beth nodded and began to cry as her sister held her "It's gonna be ok honey. I've got you. Your gonna be just fine."

Once Maggie had gotten Beth settled, she checked in on Ron.

"You Ok?"

Ron nodded. I'm not cut. "It's just the other blokes blood."

"That's not what I asked."

Ron sighed. He held out his hands and realized that he was still shaking. He quickly began to wipe his hand on his pants. "I've never killed anyone before. Not like that, you know."

Maggie nodded. "Yea, I know. It's pretty awful, and it never gets better. You saved my sisters life today. Just focus on that."

Ron nodded. He decided that he would just clean up and go to bed. There was no way he could eat anything tonight.

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Hermione gathered what little supplies she found in the abandoned house. Placing the items in her backpack, she tossed it over her shoulder and headed out to meet Daryl. She heard the bike headed her way. It was funny to her that she would never have gotten on a motorcycle before this, and she would certainly have not gotten on a bike with someone like Daryl. He stopped the bike and waited as she threw her leg over the seat and wrapped her arms around his waist. Moving was a big part of survival. You had to say mobile so you could get out of harm's way if need be. At first she was terrified every time she rode with Daryl, but now she looked forward to riding into the sunset with the wind in her face. They had found a dear stand and had taken to holding up there. It was in a tree; hidden from view by overgrowth. It was in good enough shape to provide shelter and that it was off the ground made it ideal.

"Do your voo-doo thing; imma get a fire going down here and get some grub on."

She sighed. "It's not voo-doo; its magic. There is a sizable difference."

"Wiggle your nose, nod your head, whatever you gotta do. Just make sure we are covered."

"Yes sir."

He looked up and pinned her with those eyes. "Sir? Now you're just sassing me. No squirrel for you."

"Oh darn; and you know how I love your squirrel."

"Keep sassing me girl and see if I don't take you over my knee."

Hermione wasn't sure what came over, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "Is that a threat or a promise?"

He lifted an eyebrow at her and shook his head. "Oh yea, I took one look at them skinny little legs your giant bag of books and shit; heard you throwing around them high dollars words and thought; 'man I gotta get me some of that'."

They both break out into nervous laughter. She sighs and realizes that she feels very free here. There were expectations in her world. She was Hermione Granger; hero of the Battle of Hogwarts; potions wonder kin and close friend of Harry Potter. She also felt an expectation as a representative for muggle born magic users. Even after the evils of Voldemort; some people in the magic community still discriminate against the muggle born. Some nights she imagines what it would be like to just stay here and ride with Daryl until the end. There was a part of her that she did not like to acknowledge that liked that idea very much. She set up the proper spells to ensure that no human could find them. However she had learned the hard way that walkers are impervious to the spell. It's a charm designed to trick the passerby's vision. Walkers use hearing and smell, so they will walk right through her lovely charm and chomp away. Once that was done, she joined Daryl by the fire that was now going strong and waited for the squirrel to cook enough to be edible. They ate in comfortable silence and retired to the deer stand. She curled up in her sleeping bag and fingers her ring before falling asleep.

When she woke up, Daryl was already gone. That was not unusual as he likes to go hunting just before dawn. She began to gather the needed supplies and cleaned out her backpack in case they went out on a run. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She grabbed her wand and a knife and headed out to try and find Daryl. He had taught her some basic tracking skills, but he was good at covering his tracks. She used a spell to help her follow his path which seemed never ending. She was starting to feel foolish and she was pretty sure he would make it back to the deer stand before she did. Now she would have to explain herself and Daryl would surely give her a ribbing for it. That was when she heard the commotion. She made her way toward the sound, quiet as a mouse. Approaching Daryl, she noticed that he is arguing with another man. He is African-American and is easily the largest man she has ever see (besides Haggrid of course). She is trying to inch forward to get a better assessment of the situation. It was then that she heard the distinctive sound of the hammer of a hand gun being pulled back; and it was coming from behind her.

AN: Thanks all who have favorite this fic so far. I hope you stick with me, and again I promise to finish. Never fear; I have plans for our favorite know-it-all. I know some of you have questioned the parings in this fic. I am not sticking to "The Good Ship" (aka Ron/Hermione) and additional HP charters will be coming into play. Please feel free to make suggestions; I definitely take feedback into consideration when I write. Also, Reviews are a writers drug...and I need a fix...just saying.


	4. Stand Up

"Stand up...nice and slow."

Hermione stood slowly, raising her hands above her head.

"Hey; Tyreese we got a snooper."

The men turned and Daryl gave her a quizzical look. He sighed, "She's with me."

Tyreese grinned at Daryl and nodded to the person or people behind her. When she did turn around, she was surprised to find two small girls. The oldest was the one holding the gun on her, and she couldn't possibly be older than ten. It was disquieting and creepy. The girl turned her head slightly but did not lower her gun. She appeared to be sizing Hermione up. The smaller girl pulled on the other girls arm, and she lowered her gun. Hermione sighed and walked over to Daryl and the other man. The man extended his giant hand to her.

"Tyreese, so how did you end up with this one anyway?"

"Hermione, it's a bit of a long story. The short version is that I was separated from my boyfriend and Daryl was kind enough to shoot a rather persistent walker with his cross bow. After that, I figured that it would behoove me to stay close to him. Its worked quite well so far, but I fear that Daryl is getting the short end of our arrangement.

Tyreese gave Daryl a devilish grin. "Depends on how attached you are to that boyfriend."

"Shut-up man."

Tyreese threw up his hands and backed away. "Ok, just saying."

"Are we just gonna stand around or what?"

The older girl looked annoyed. Tyreese gave her a look. "Lizzie, don't be rude. I'm sorry Hermione, this is Lizzie and her sister Mika."

"Hello" Hermione extended her hand. Lizzie just looked irritated, Mika took her hand and shook it.

"You're pretty."

Hermione smiled at the younger girl. "Why thank you."

Lizzie snorted. "She's not that pretty."

"That's enough young lady. Get back to the campsite. No lip, just go and take Mika with you."

The two girls headed back silently and Hermione turned back to Tyreese.

"I was telling Daryl here that we are heading west. I figure that we want to keep away from Woodbury and that is the direction of the nearest town. Maybe we can find some of the others there, get a few supplies if we are lucky."

"I already told you that we are going north. I promised Hermione that I'd try to find her fella, and that's where they got overrun by a walker herd."

Tyreese addressed Hermione, as he had given up on reasoning with Daryl. "Look I'm not trying to tell yall what to do; but north is where we lost a car to that massive herd. I mean there had to be thousands of them, we were damn lucky to get out of there once. I wouldn't tempt fate if I was you."

"I'm going. Daryl is free to go with you and the girls if he likes; but I have to try to find Ron. I know it's a long shot, but I have to try."

Tyreese nodded. "I understand. Good luck to both of you. If you should make it out, you know where to find us."

Daryl nodded. "Check that supper market from the last run, if we make it we'll meet you there."

Tyreese shook Daryl's hand and turned to Hermione. "I hope you find Ron; I really do." He turned and started walking back to the girls. Hermione exhaled a sad sigh. Daryl knew about why she and Ron were here and he was just trying to give them an excuses not to join the others. Daryl had understood and was willing to help but she was reminded of a quote from Men in Black. A person is smart; people are dumb panicky dangerous animals. The fewer muggles that were aware of what was happening the better. She remembered the day that she was called into Harry's office. He had decided that he would send Ron and herself to find the object. The truth is that very little of the prophecy made sense, but the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort had been spot on; so they had to try. They were to go to Georgia via port key. The problem was that the port key landed them in field of walkers. Ron and Hermione fought them off, but the walker crowed around them, and soon they realized that there were going to have to split up. She ran off and tried to get as many of them as she could to follow her. She ran as fast and as far as she could. Once she was sure there was a comfortable distance between her and the walkers, she looked for a good spot to set up camp. That was when she discovered that enchantments do not work on the un-dead. She lost her smaller tent, but she was able to outrun them and find an abandoned shed. She again set her enchantments and stayed very quit. She managed to get a bit of sleep and headed back to the way she had come to see if the herd had dissipated enough to try finding Ron. No such luck, there were still hundreds of rotting corpses rambling around the open field. She was fortunate that they didn't take notice of her. After that, Hermione decided the only logical move was to try finding a road and follow it to the nearest city. Hopefully, she would find some actual living people. She had been walking down that road for about two and a half days when Daryl saved her. Now she was just hoping to find Ron; and she still had no clue what she was looking for.

"Hey, you coming?"

The sound of Daryl's voice brought her back to reality. She nodded and followed him back to their camp.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

The people walked along streets and exchanged pleasantries; as if the world was not coming to an end. The large magic communities had figured out how to set the proper enchantments to keep out both the living and the dead. They were able to carry on as if everything was normal. The problem was that supplies and food were running low. For the first time, the magic world was forced to see how dependant it is on muggles. If they were not successful in figuring out a cure everyone, magical and non-magical, would die. Harry stared aimlessly out his window. It was 2 years to the day that the magical bio bombs went off. There was no explosion, no smoke and flames...but what happened next was the stuff of nightmares. The dead began to come back, but not like they were. They became mindless rotting machines that devoured anything in their path. In the early days, no one was sure what was going on. Once it was discovered that magic users were immune; it didn't take long to put the pieces together. Voldemort had set cauldrons with this deadly potion in strategic locations all over the world. The best and brightest minds were tasked with finding a cure, but this potion was particularly sinister. It attached itself to every human being worldwide. Magic rendered the virus ineffective, however the undead were running rampant everywhere, making it impossible to get supplies, food or anything from the non-magical world. The magic community had a decision to make. They could hold up and wait until ever muggle was un-dead and then clean house and start over; or they could try to find a way to save the muggle community and rebuild together. For Harry there was no question. He was part of the task force that Minister Shacklebolt put together to find a solution. He suggested that they brain storm to see if there was any answer to be found. The best and the brightest magical minds had gathered to try to figure out what to do. Trelawney invited herself, and Hermione was trying to usher her out of the meeting hall. She was insistent that they needed her help and that they would certainly be sorry and that Dumbledore would never have allowed her to be treated so poorly. That was when it happened. She went very still and began to speak with a lower, almost disembodied voice. Hermione released Trelawney's arm and stood there in shock.

_Last and first of the 13...George's pride and shame_

_There you will find the cure...Brought from death to offer life_

_Love saved the one who lived...and will save us again_

_Love will overcome the darkness...the Dark Lords worst fear will come to pass._

As usual, she was unaware that she had made a prophecy at all. They shuffled her out the door and sent her home to rest. After she was secured, they began to break down the prophecy itself. It was Neville that figured out the beginning referred to Georgia. It was the last of the original 13 colonies to be founded and the first of the southern states to ratify the constitution. King George III was on the throne when the War for Independence was fought. The rest was a complete mystery. With all the references to love, Harry thought it prudent to send out a couple to find whatever it is that will save them. There was only one couple that he would trust with that much responsibility. So he called on Hermione and Ron. That was over a month ago and there was no word from them at all. He was really concerned.

"You look tired."

He turned to see Luna Lovegood standing in the doorway. She was really the last person he wanted to see right now. "Yea Luna; I haven't slept much lately."

"It's the wrackspurts."

"Pardon?"

"The wrackspurts, they have infested your ears and it's making your brain all fuzzy."

"Luna...I really don't have time for"

"That's why you can't figure out what you're supposed to find in Georgia."

Harry stopped and stared at her. "Wait; how do you know about Georgia?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "The Nargiles are notorious blabbermouths."

Harry just shook his head. "Do you know what it is that we are looking for in Georgia?"

"No" she shook her head. "I have a awful case of wrackspurts as well. If I could go to Georgia, I'm certain I could find what we are looking for. It's been well documented that wrackspurts detest humid climates."

Harry almost laughed. "I see. Let me think about it and I'll get back to you."

Luna turned towards his door. "Oh hello Pansy; did you come to ask Harry if you can go to Georgia too?"

Pansy Parkinson stood in the doorway looking befuddled by Luna's comment. "Ah yes actually I did. How did you...you know what...never mind. Harry, may I speak to you."

"I'm not sure that I want to send anyone else. We haven't heard from Hermione or Ron in over a month. Plus we still don't know what we are looking for."

"Which is exactly why you should send me. I did an internship with Nurse Pomfrey and I scored higher than anyone else on the task force in survival tactics. I can do this."

"I have no doubt in your skill; I'm thinking that you can be of better use here."

Pansy scowled "So I can be mocked and made fun of behind my back? Since my divorce from Malfoy; I have spent every waking minute trying to prove that I'm one of the good guys. I'm never gonna shake the Malfoy stink until I prove myself, and this is my chance."

"Still, it's incredibly dangerous."

"If I die; no one will miss me."

Harry shook his head. "Don't say that."

"Look, just let me do this. I'll even take blondie. Just give me this chance...Please."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. This one was going to be difficult to explain, but Luna was like a cat with nine lives; and he was more than aware of how ugly people had been to Pansy. Somehow he felt he was going to regret this.

"Ok, pack your things and be ready tonight."

Pansy mouthed the words 'thank you' and dashed out the door.

"Oh, a trip sounds lovely. Thank you Harry." Luna turned and breezed out the door.

Yep, he was defiantly going to regret this.

AN: Sorry for the delay in updating. It's been a busy weekend. I hope you like where it's going so far. A great way to let me know would be to review this fic...that was a non subtle hint. PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Of Slytherin and Sheriff's

AN: I got a new position at my work and had to do a lot of training. I'm going to be updating more regularly from now on. Thanks so much for sticking with me guys, I appreciate it so much!

Carl was walking cautiously back to where he had left his dad. The backpack slung over his shoulder had a pretty decent haul of water bottles, food and even a bottle of anti-bionics. The heat was stifling, but he knew he was close. He double checked the perimeter of the little shed to make sure there were no walkers in the area. Once he was convinced that the path was clear, he slowly opened the door.

"Come on in, and put the bag on the floor nice and slow."

Carl looked to his dad who was on his knees, hands behind his head. There were three men in the shed including the man who was talking to him. He still had his hand gun tucked into the waist band of his jeans, but they had automatic weapons aimed at his father's head. Better not to risk it. He slowly placed the bag on the floor and slid it to the man that was talking.

"Good job. Now come sit by your papa her."

Carl knelt by his dad and put his hands at the back of his neck.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

The man with a bandana on his head was looking through the wooden slats to locate the sound.

The man with the gray hair that had been talking told him to shut up and quit being paranoid. He reached down and threw the backpack over his shoulder. There was a rustling noise outside. The white haired man looked to the man with the bandanna.

"What are you waiting for, go check it out."

He sighed, but went outside. Everyone could hear him crunching around the underbrush. Suddenly, it got quiet.

"What's going on man...what the hell is the deal fat ass?"

No answer.

"Not funny asshole. If there aint nothing out there, then get back here already."

Still no answer.

"Shit; alright man...go check it out." The other man shook his head and walked out the door. At this point, the odds were in Carl and Ricks favor; and Carl still has the gun. He looks to his dad, and scoots up just enough to give Rick easy access the gun. The white haired man walked to the door to check on his friends. Rick grabbed the gun from Carl's waist band and pointed it at the white haired man. He laughed.

"You know that anit gonna work. If you don't shoot me, you are just waiting for my buddies to come back, and then your outnumbered. If you shoot me, they are coming in hot. I don't see you risking Jr getting shot; so let's just put down the guns and talk."

They both started to lower their guns when the rustling sound returned. The white haired man used the distraction to lift the gun up and hit Rick in the head with the butt of the gun. He heard the gun shot, and looked down in disbelief as he saw blood coming from his chest. He fell to the floor and looked up in time to see the boy with the sheriffs hat standing over him with his gun raised. He never heard the final shot that ended him.

Pansy had been following the bikers for several miles. She could tell they were bad news, but one of them mentioned seeing a man hiding under the bed at the last house they had held up in. The men decided to find this man, kill him and take any supplies he might have. She figured that if she could help save him, maybe he could help her figure out where she was and hopefully what she needed to find. They finally found the man in a wooden shack, she waited because she noticed the boy walking towards the shed. She was worried that if she tried to stop him, that would only alert the men that he was there. Once he was in the shed, she decided to make a distraction. She started shuffling outside. She heard the man order his buddy outside to investigate. Quiet like a ninja, she crept up behind him and whispered "_Immobulus_"

Once he was frozen she waited behind a tree and waited for the leader to send out his other lackey. It wasn't very long before the door opened again. She listened for the man's footsteps. He was cautious, but once he noticed his friend, he relaxed and walked up to the frozen man.

"Hey dumbass, let's get a move on already."

There was no response.

He placed a hand on the man's shoulder, but just as he realized that his buddy was frozen in place, he heard a whisper over his shoulder. He was now unable to move or speak.

After she froze the second man, she knew the leader would not come out unless he had too, and he might kill the man and the boy just to be rid of them. She began to shuffle around to create a distraction, hopping that the man might think she was a walker and come out. That was when she heard voices. Pansy nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the gun shot. She quickly ran to the door and the second shot rang out as she opened the door. She walked in and immediately raised her hands as the boy in the hat was standing over the dead body of the leader and pointing the gun at her. He was trembling, but she was not going to risk him missing her at this range. She had already put her wand away; which she was seriously beginning to regret.

"Hey, slow down. I just came in because I heard the gun shot. Are you hurt?"

The boy pulled the hammer back on his gun.

"Stay where you are."

"Ok, ok I'm staying. You didn't answer me, are you hurt?"

The boy shook his head. His eyes darted to a slumped form on the ground. This must be the man they were looking for. She slowly began to walk over to the man.

"I said stay where you are."

"I'm just trying to check on this man. I'm a nurse and I'm unarmed. You can shoot me if you like, but he needs medical attention."

Pansy continued to move at a snail's pace toward the man on the floor. The boy was frantic, but he was desperate enough to allow her to check the man out. He had a nasty cut on his forehead, and she was pretty sure that it was caused by a rifle butt. His breathing was steady, and the wound didn't look that bad. She was more concerned about him having a concussion. This would be much easier if she could get the boy out of the shack. There was a potion that could help, but she would need some supplies.

She turned to the boy who's eyes were now white with fear.

"Is he gonna be ok?"

She gave him a reassuring smile. "I think so. He might have a concussion, but other than that he should be fine. He seems pretty weak. Does he have other injuries?"

The boy nodded, he showed her the healing knife wound from his arm and the bullet wound in his thigh. She drew in a sharp breath. They appeared to be healing well, but that did not guarantee that it would not become infected. That would required more stuff and a different potion altogether. She could see to his head injury with her wand if she could get the man alone for just a minute or two.

"Hey, do you have any clean sheets or clothes we could use to clean his head wound?"

The boy shook his head. "No, but I could get some. Can you stay with him?"

She nodded her head. "Sure, I'll be right here."

The boy dashed off. Once she was sure he was gone; she pulled her wand from her pack. She hoped that it worked on non-magic users as well as it does on magic users. Her hand made small circles over his head. She spoke the appropriate incantation and watched as the small blue cloud formed over his head. There was a small red spot on the front of his head. That is where the damage was; so far so good. She took a deep breath and began softly speaking the next part of the spell. The spot of red began to glow and then started to fade to blue. She exhaled and stood up to stretch. The spell should be done before he gets back, but she would rather be cautious. She stood by the door, keeping watch through the spaces in the wood. After the spell had finished, she decided to venture out to get some ingredients. She would also have to dispatch of the two men outside. They were still frozen when she approached. They were far too dangerous to set free. She pulled out her knife and shoved it into the base of the man's skull. Then she proceeded to the next man. She used her wand to place the bodies far out into the woods along with their white haired friend. While she was there she began to search for ingredients. He still needed the potion and it was getting dark. She stepped out and began to look for what she needed. There were certain things she needed that she knew she would not find, but the really rare stuff was in her pack and she was pretty sure she could make do. Heading back to the shack, she found that the boy had returned before her. He was very angry.

"What were you thinking? I told you to stay with him, he could have been attacked."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't go far. I just needed to get some supplies. I promise I wouldn't let anything happen to him."

"You can't know that, it was just stupid. You could've waited until I got back. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Pansy was holding her arms out, desperately trying to calm the boy down. So far, nothing was helping. Then the man moaned. She and the boy scrambled to his side. He wasn't conscious yet, but he was doing better. She instinctively took the cloth from his hand and pulled a bottle of water from her pack. She wet the cloth and ran it across the man's forehead. He shifted a bit and settled back into sleep. She sat back and held the rag out to the boy.

"If you want me to leave; I'll understand."

The boy eyed her for a moment. "You said you were getting stuff to make a medication for him...right?"

She nodded.

"Well, best get to it. I've got some food in my bag if you need it."

"No thanks, I'm good. I'll just go outside and start a fire."

He nodded at her and she stepped outside. Gathering some broken twigs and dried leaves, she quickly had a decent fire going. She prepped the ingredients and began to bring her concoction to a boil. Once she was satisfied with the final product, she set it aside to cool. When she returned she found the boy asleep by his father's feet. He was slumped against the wall where he had been trying to keep vigil over his father's broken body. Pansy carefully walked to the man and knelt on the floor by his head. She gently cradled his head in her lap and let just a bit of the liquid trickle down his throat. Drop by drop she made sure he took all of it. Once that was done, she cleaned up and made sure the fire was out. Then she locked them into the shack and settled in, using her pack as a pillow. She wasn't sure if the potion would work, but she desperately hoped it would.

She was woken from a sound sleep by the man's moaning. Rising from the floor, she lit the tip of her wand and looked around till she found the rag. Carefully placing the wet rag on his forehead, he began to move and his eyes opened. She smiled down on him.

"Hey there."

He looked confused. "Lori?"

She figured he was still out of it and she had better play along.

"Yep."

His eyes lit up. He reached up and stroked her face.

"Oh, Lori...I thought I'd lost you."

She placed her hand on his and gently laid it back on his chest.

"I know; you're week and you need sleep. Can you do that for me?"

His eye got heavy as he answered. "I'd do anything for you Lori, I love you."

Pansy felt like a cold knife was plunged into her heart.

"I love you too."

He drifted off into slumber and Pansy was left with her thoughts. She didn't have any idea who Lori was, but the bitterness and anger she felt would not go away. The way he had looked at her, the touch of his hand. That was real love, and it was something she had never know. She sat in the shack, wondering to herself if she would ever find that kind of love. The dead were walking the earth eating human flesh; so anything is possible. God she hoped so.


End file.
